The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has warned of fake papers in circulation being purportedly sold as leaked Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination papers.
The council’s chief executive officer David Njeng’ere cautioned candidates and parents against being duped by conmen as the national examinations entered the second week.
The tests went on Monday (November 13) uninterrupted as the rest of Kenyans got a national holiday that was dedicated to planting trees.
“I can assure you with absolute confidence there is no single genuine paper that can circulate on social media platforms. Those fellows try to collude with somebody somewhere and look for an image of the paper that is being done, and share it on Telegram. We are working with the Ministry of ICT and all those cases have been neutered, so there’s no effect,” Dr Njeng’ere said when he witnessed the distribution of exam papers in Murang’a County.
Yesterday, candidates sat Mathematics Paper 2 and Kiswahili Paper 3, while today they will undertake Religious Education Paper 1 and Biology Paper 1. Tomorrow, the candidates will tackle Religious Education Paper 2 and History and Government Paper 1 while Biology Paper 2 while History and Government Paper 2 are scheduled for the following day.
Finally, on Friday, candidates will complete their Biology Paper 3 tests, exclusively focusing on practical aspects.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki had clarified that the examinations would go on despite it being a national holiday for the purpose of nationwide tree planting.
Speaking while overseeing the distribution of the exam papers, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang emphasised that the examination process has been running seamlessly without any technical glitches or malfunctions. This comes as a relief to both students and educational authorities out to ensure a fair and transparent evaluation process.
“The first week of the examination concluded without any papers being exposed earlier than the designated release time for students. As a teacher, I take pride in our collective efforts, as we've been granted the opportunity to collaboratively shape the development of our young students. Our approach in the past week, ensuring that they receive exams at the scheduled time, sets the foundation for providing them with better opportunities,” the PS said.
“Traveling across the country, I can attest that many of us are content with the implemented measures, allowing students to realise their full potential without external influences. The transition to electives, expected to be more manageable, further emphasises our commitment to fostering an environment conducive to academic success.”
Furthermore, Mr Kipsang assured universities that the admission process for the next academic year would consider students who had committed to performing to their full potential during the 2023 KCSE.
"We have successfully navigated the challenges of this year's endeavours. I can confidently affirm that, at this point, the school principals can attest that we are well-prepared to provide our colleagues and tertiary institutions with commendable children and students,” Mr Kipsang said.
“Our commitment to excellence in this journey has been steadfast, and starting a race strongly makes it challenging for any disruptions along the way. I am certain that we will conclude this endeavour as smoothly and successfully as we began, maintaining a high standard throughout the entire marathon.”
While speaking at Kolanya Girls National School in Teso North, Busia County, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu took decisive action two days ago, suspending nine secondary school principals over allegations of participating in malpractice during the ongoing KCSE examination.
Mr Machogu, who was conducting routine supervision of the exams, said that the most prevalent cases of malpractice this year included the discovery of foreign materials in examination rooms, instances of candidate impersonations, and collusion between invigilators and candidates.
“So far we have had three cases of collision, two impersonations and nine centre managers that is the principals who were manning schools, we have sent home …also 46 candidates were implicated,” he said.
